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General overview:
Conscious level
Appearance
Body built
Colours (complexion)
Decubitus
Facial expressions
Vital signs:
Pulse BPTR
Blood pressure
Respiratory rate
Temperature
Systemic overview:
Head & neck
Upper limbs (hands)
Lower limbs (feet)
1- Conscious level:
Alertness, orientation (time, place & person), mood (= emotional state,
depression, euphoria), memory (near & far events), intelligence (IQ test, the
patient & the doctor can understand each other) and behaviour.
Normally: The patient is fully conscious, oriented to time, place & persons,
cooperative and of average mood, memory & intelligence.
Conscious level is impaired (disturbed) → confusion/ coma in neurological
disorders (cerebrovascular stroke, meningitis, Alzheimer disease) and major
organ failure (liver, kidney, respiratory failure)
2- Appearance:
Normally: looks well
Abnormally: looks ill
Ill & toxic: in chronic infection (tuberculosis, infective endocarditis,
thyrotoxicosis)
Ill & cachectic: malignancy
Body height:
Height: the distance between the occiput to the heels in the standing upright
position
Span: the distance between the tips of the fingers in the outstretched hands
Normally: the body height is nearly equal to the span (proportionate)
Upper body segment: the distance from the occiput till the symphysis pubis
Lower body segment: the distance from the symphysis pubis till the floor
Normally the upper body segment equals the lower body segment
Short stature (dwarfism) causes: pituitary gland hypofunction,
hypothyroidism in children (cretinism)
Tall stature: as in pituitary gland hyperfunction in children ((gigantism)
4- Complexion (Colours):
Pallor
Jaundice PPJC
Cyanosis
Pigmentation
Pallor: decreased visibility of oxyhemoglobin in blood vessels
Sites of examination:
Inner aspect of lips.
Tongue
Skin of the face.
Nails.
Inferior fornix of the conjunctiva
Palmar creases
Causes of pallor:
Anemia.
Shock
Toxemia e.g. infective endocarditis.
Edema of the face e.g. nephrotic syndrome, myxedema
Hyperpigmentation
4- Decubitus:
It is the position of the patient in bed
Normally, the patient lies flat & comfortable in bed without dyspnea or pain
Abnormal positions:
Orthopnea:- Semi setting position, due to left-side heart failure,
COPD, massive ascites, morbid obesity
Squatting position: In Fallot's tetralogy (cyanotic congenital heart
disease)
The prayer’s position: pericardial effusion, pancreatitis
Lateral Position in chest diseases: pleurisy, lung abscess
Dorsal position (flexed knees & hips) with abdominal rigidity:
peritonitis, appendicitis
Squatting position Prayer position
Malar rash
General Examination – Part III
6- Vital Signs:
A- Pulse:
Pulse Rhythm: you should know it first before counting the rate. It is either
regular or irregular
Plateau pulse:
Definition: slow ascending and slow descending with low amplitude.
Causes: Aortic stenosis, left ventricular failure (LVF)
Pulsus paradoxus:
Definition: exaggerated drop of the systolic blood pressure during
inspiration (more than 10 mm Hg)
Causes: pericardial tamponade, COPD, congestive heart failure
Detection: Measure B.P. during inspiration & during expiration.
Pulsus deficit:
Definition: Pulse rate at the apex of the heart is more than the rate of
the radial pulse
Mechanism: Contraction of an empty ventricle (so some weak beats
are unable to reach the radial artery).
Causes: A.F >10 bpm, multiple extrasystoles < 10 bpm.
- Abnormal finding in which the pulse of the femoral artery is weaker &
delayed in comparison to the radial artery when they are felt simultaneously.
- Caused by Coarctation of aorta
The patient’s pulse is 75 beat/min., regular, average volume, equal on both sides,
no special character, the blood vessel walls are normal and not felt with palpable
pulsations of dorsalis pedis artery
B- Temperature:
Measurement: Using a mercury thermometer
Oral temperature:
Insert the thermometer under the tongue with closed lips for 3
minutes.
Normal oral temperature= 36.5 – 37.2 °C.
Rectal temperature:
Insert the thermometer in the rectum through the anal canal for 2
minutes (subtract 0.5 o C of the reading).
Indicated in infants, comatosed patients, painful oral lesions.
Axillary temperature:
Insert the thermometer in axilla for 3 minutes (add 0.5o C to the
reading).
Abnormal body temperature:
Fever: body temperature > 37.2 °C.
Hypothermia: body temperature ≤ 35 °C.
Hyperthermia: body temperature > 41 °C.
Types of Fever:
Continuous fever:
Definition: Fever with body temperature fluctuation <1 °C &
always body temperature above the normal base line.
Causes: Gram negative infections, CNS damage (hemorrhage,
infarction)
Remittent fever:
Definition: fever with body temperature fluctuation >1 °C and
temperature is always > the normal base line.
Causes: Viral infections, Tuberculosis (TB)
C- Blood pressure:
Definition: Pressure of blood on the arterial wall during contraction (systole) &
relaxation (diastole) of the left ventricle.
Blood pressure = Systolic blood pressure (SBP)/ diastolic blood pressure (DBP)
BP = SBP/DBP
Normally: SBP = 100 - < 140 mmHg, DBP = 60 - < 90 mmHg
Measurement of BP.:
Direct: direct intra-arterial measurement using specific catheters.
Indirect: by sphygmomanometer (palpatory, & Auscultatory methods)
BP is usually equal in both Right & left ULs: difference is < 10mm Hg
Normally, BP in LL > UL by less than 20 mm Hg.
Technique of measurement of BP:
Under complete physical & mental rest of the patient for at least 5 minutes,
with no tight clothes.
Place the cuff of the sphygmomanometer on the patient’s arm at the level of
the heart. Not tight nor loose.
The inflated bag (the bladder of the cuff) should be on the medial side of the
arm, with its lower border is at least 2 cm above the cubital fossa.
Palpatory method: palpate the radial artery of the same arm, inflate the cuff
bladder till the radial pulse disappears, then deflate till the pulse reappear (the
point at which the pulse re-appear, this is the estimated SBP by Palpatory
method)
Auscultatory method:
Place the stethoscope over the brachial artery in the cubital fossa
medial to the Biceps tendon (Never place the stethoscope under the
cuff of the sphygmomanometer)
Inflate the cuff again to a point 30 mmHg above the SBP estimated by
Palpatory method … you will hear no sounds above SBP point.
Deflate the cuff gradually (2- 5 mmHg/second), till:
You clearly hear the 1st sound of brachial pulsation (SBP)
Deflate till the sound disappear again (DBP)
Hill’s phenomena: Blood pressure in lower limbs > blood pressure in upper
limbs by less than 20 mmHg, which is normal.
Hill’s sign: blood pressure in lower limb > blood pressure in upper limb by >
60 mmHg, in aortic regurge.
Reversal of Hill’s phenomena: blood pressure in lower limb < blood pressure
in upper limb, in coarctation of aorta.
In postural hypotension (orthostatic hypotension = orthostatic syncope):
exaggerated fall of SBP (& DBP) more than 20 mmHg in standing position
than sitting or recumbent position.
Uses of sphygmomanometer:
1. Measurement of B.P.
2. Determination of pulse pressure (SBP-DBP)
3. Detection of pulsus alternans
4. Detection of pulsus paradoxus
5. Detection of unequality of pulse in both sides (different blood pressure in Rt.
& Lt limb).
6. Diagnostic signs: Hill’s sign & reversal of Hill’s sign
7. Can be used as a tourniquet to stop bleeding till arrival to the hospital.
8. Diagnostic tests:
Hess test: Capillary fragility test
Trousseau’s test: diagnosis of latent tetany
Walker's test: diagnosis of Myasthenia gravis.